Trolley-arm for electric cars.



, Patented Sept. 3; [90L J. F. snow.

TBOLLEY ARM FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

(Applies-firm filedFeh. 19, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

JAMES F. SNOW, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND.

TROLLEY-ARM FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

$PEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,891, dated September 3, 1901. Application filed February 13, 1901- Seriel No. 47,925. (No model.)

Electric Cars, of which the following is a.

specification.

. This invention has reference to an improve ment in that class of devices by which the trolley or contact-roller used on electricallypropelled cars is supported and operated to connect the electric motor with the overhead conductor of electric energy.

It has been found in practice that the flanges of trolley-wheels wear out rapidly, because the groove between the flanges of the wheel in passing over curves does not follow the curve of the conductor-wire. The flanges grind on the conductor-wire and wear both the flanges and the wire. It has been suggested to support the trolley-wheel in a fork pivoted in the end of the trolley-arm but such a wheel depends for guidance on the contact of the flanges with the conductor-wire and does not prevent the wear of the trolleywheel and the conductor-wire.

The objects of this invention are to reduce the wear on the trolley-wheel and the conductor-wire and secure a more reliable contact.

The invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction whereby the trolley-wheel is guided in its passage over curves and ad justs itself to vertical changes in the conductor-wire, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

Figure l is a side view of part of a trolleyarm provided with my improved trolley-wheel support. Fig. 2 is a transverse view, partly in section, of the auxiliary spring connection. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the swiveled fork forming the rocking support of the wheel-arm.

Similar marks of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A indicates the usual trolley-arm, which is connected with the car at its lower end in the usual manner, a a bracket secured to the end of the trolley-arm A, and a a socket in which the spindle a of the fork a is pivotally supported. The spindle at is spring b with the loop b provided with an annular groove, into which a pin, in screw-thread engagement with the wall of the socket, enters to secure the spindle and fork in position, as shown in Fig. 3. The lever Bis pivotally supported in the fork a In the preferred form, as shown in Fig. 1, the lever B has the sleeve 17, which is pivoted in the fork of and forms the supports of the arms 6 and b projecting at different an gles from the sleeve. The trolley-wheel c is journaled in the fork c at the end of the arm I). The sleeve 5 on the arm b of the lever B is connected with the sleeve 5 on the trolley-arm A by the coiled spring 6 The sleeve 6 is also connected by means of the coiled To the opposite or lower end of the loop 19 the cord b is secured, by which the trolley-arm is controlled.

In an electrically-controlled car the trolleyarm practically maintainsits position on a line with the center of the car. In turning a curve the car and trolley arm follow the curve; but the free end of the trolley-arm and the trolley-wheel journaled in this end move when unrestrained by the conductor-wire through a curve of much greater radius than the curve of the track or the conductor-wire. To permit the trolley-Wheel to more readily follow the conductor or trolley wire, the lever B is pivotally supported in the fork 0. which can turn in the socket a. The trolley-wheel c is journaled in the rear end of the lever B, beyond the pivotal support of the lever in the socket. The arm 79 of the lever B controls the lateral movement of the lever, the spring 19 drawing the end of the lever B toward the trolley-arm A and the trolley-wheel against the trolley-wire. The vertical rocking movement of the lever B is limited by the loop b and when passing through tunnels, bridges, or other places where the conductor or trolley wire is lower than normally the spring h acts to maintain the contact of the trolley-wheel with the conductor or trolley wire. By this construction the lever B acts as a leader for the trolley-wheel, having vertical and lateral movement independent of the movement of the main trolley-arm. The arm 6' of the lever B may be of such length as will place the socket a in the best position to lead the trolley over the curves of the conductor-wire.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 7 1. A trolley-arm for electric cars having a lever pivot-ally secured in a fork the vertical spindle of which is supported in a socket of the main trolley-arm, the movement of the leverbein g restricted by springs,as described.

2. A trolley-arm for electric cars having a socket near its free end, in combination with a fork supported in the socket, a lever pivoted in the fork, a trolley-Wheel on one end of the lever, and a coiledspring connecting the other end of the lever with the trolleyarm, as described.

3. In atrolley-arm for electric cars, the com bination with the main trolley-arm and a J. A. MILLER, J r., ADA E. HAGERTY. 

